The "Trojan Horse Massacre" refers to a covert South African Police operation carried out on 15 October 1985 in Athlone, Cape Town, during the final decade of the Apartheid era.

Overview:
South African security forces concealed armed officers inside a railway delivery truck—the so-called “Trojan Horse”—and drove it into a residential area where anti-apartheid youths were protesting and throwing stones at police vehicles. When the demonstrators approached the truck, officers suddenly emerged and opened fire with live ammunition.

Casualties and Impact:
At least three youths were killed (most notably Michael “Bobby” Williams, aged 15).
Several others were seriously injured.
The victims were unarmed or lightly armed with stones.

Significance:
The incident became emblematic of the brutality and deception employed by apartheid security forces, the routine use of lethal force against civilians, including minors, and the broader strategy of counter-insurgency policing used to suppress township resistance.

Aftermath:
The operation was later condemned during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) hearings.
While some officers applied for amnesty, the massacre remains a symbol of state violence and impunity under apartheid.